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Abstract
Too often, tests of economic rationality of agricultural producers are based on
the assumption of profit maximization and certainty of outcomes of production
decisions (Hopper; and Yotopoulos). However, multiple goals and uncertainties
may be relevant to the decisionmaker. Consequently, single goal models under
certainty are not always a realistic approach to the decision process and may not
provide a farmer with an acceptable solution.
Progress in using multiple goals and uncertainties in decision models has been
slowed by the difficulty of incorporating multiple goals and uncertainties into
analytical models. However, with the development of decision theory,
procedures became available that permit explicit incorporation of uncertainties
and multiple goals. Decision theory describes how a rational decisonmaker ought
to behave given his beliefs and preferences. Whether or not the model explains
the behaviour of peasant farmers can only be answered by empirical tests.
The objectives of this study are: (1) to compare alternative theories of choice
(single attribute utility maximization, multiattribute utility maximization, and
expected profit maximization in terms of their abilities to explain and predict
actual resource allocation decisions of producers, and (2) to explore implications
for policy decisionmakers of the impact of and uncertainty on farmers' choices.
The present research was conducted on a sample of rice farmers in Sri Lanka.